Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Was the choice of EDGE over 3G for the iPhone genius on Apple's part?


Apple's choice of the slower EDGE chips might have been a stroke of genius. If you are building the world's best smartphone, you want the fastest data speeds available right? Common sense would dictate that faster equals better but it might not have been th case for the iPhone...Here are some reasons why EDGE makes more sense...at least when Apple originally released the iPhone.

1. Cheaper hardware - allowing Apple to charge less.
2. Less power drain on the iPhone. Allowing slim design and all day usage.
3. AT&T could charge a reasonable rate for wireless - 3G would cost much more.
4. More money on sales for Apple repeat buyers when 3G is released
5. 3G Infrastructure didn’t exist in most cities in the US - it would have largely gone unused.

Expect more elaboration on this in a full Computerworld article shortly...

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